COMESA COMMUNICATION POLICY AND STRATEGY

Transcription

1 COMESA COMMUNICATION POLICY AND STRATEGY

2 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy

3 Copyright 2016 by Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be produced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means mechanical, via photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the COMESA CONTACTS COMESA Centre, Ben Bella Road P. O. Box 30051, Lusaka - ZAMBIA Tel: info@comesa.int Website: DESIGN & LAYOUT Corporate Communications

4 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy CONTENTS

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6 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Abbreviations

7 AU CET COMESA COMTEL EAC ECOWAS FEMCOM GCI GDP GPRSP HQ ICT MDG NTBs PRO PTA REC RISM RISP SADC SDG S SMS SWOT T-FTA UNCTAD African Union Common External Tariffs Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA Telecommunications East African Community Economic Community of West African States Federation of National Associations of Women in Business Global Competitive Index Gross Domestic Product Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper Headquarter Information, Communication and Technology Millennium Development Goals Non- Tariff Barriers Public Relations Officer Preferential Trade Area Regional Economic Community Regional Integration Support Mechanism Regional Integration Support Programme Southern Africa Development Community Sustainable DevelopmenGoals Short Message Service Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats Tripartite Free Trade Area United Nations Conference on Trade and Development i

8 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Foreword iii

9 To develop and maintain our reputation as the Regional Economic Community with the greatest impact in Africa, COMESA is constantly adapting to an ever-changing global environment. COMESA recognizes the strategic function communications plays in meeting our objectives amidst these changes. In our direction of travel towards excellence, we can take great pride in the way we have engaged with each other, within and without target audiences in the past. But we can always do better. This Communications Strategy is designed to help us along that road to excellence. It foreshadows a particular focus on adopting new and innovative communications measures in the future. The Strategy s key goals and objectives align well with the COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan of It is encouraging to note that the Communications Strategy answers four key questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How will we get there? And how will we know we have arrived? These fundamental questions point us in the right direction over the coming years, helping us to become better and better at what we do in fulfilling our promise of ensuring successful regional integration. Moving forward, we must view communications as a key capability in support of our work now, more than ever. Building on what we have achieved this far, this strategy does not contain every nut and bolt we will ever need, but it is one of the working tools which will help to navigate us through how to improve the visibility of COMESA and the important work that we do. Allow me to thank and commend all who have contributed to this Strategy which is the result of consultative process. All of us, must communicate from the ground floor using an orchestra approach. It is our responsibility to make sure we communicate effectively about COMESA within the Secretariat and in It is also our responsibility all to make sure this is not a one-way road. Together, let us create an institution of excellence one that we are proud to be part of; a legacy for those who come in after us. That is what effective communication will help us achieve. Sindiso Ngwenya Secretary General iv

10 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 1 Background

11 1.1. Introduction Formed in 1994 to replace the Preferential Trade Area (PTA), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has taken to transforming its 19 Member States into one single market of diverse opportunities that promote trade and investment in the largest Regional Economic Community (REC) in Africa. This process cannot be successfully completed without the increased involvement of various stakeholders - internally, externally - and without the commitment and ownership from Member States. COMESA s ultimate vision is to be a fully integrated, internationally competitive regional economic community with high standards of living for all its people ready to merge into an African Economic Community. Further, its mission is to achieve sustainable economic and social progress in all Member States through increased cooperation and integration in all fields of economic activity. The aims and objectives of COMESA are: To attain sustainable growth and development of the Member States by promoting a more balanced and harmonious development of its production and marketing structures; To promote joint development in all fields of economic activity and the joint adoption of macro-economic policies and programmes to raise the standard of living of its peoples and to foster closer relations among its Member States; To co-operate in the creation of an enabling environment for foreign, cross border and domestic investment including the joint promotion of research and adaptation of science and technology for development; To co-operate in the promotion of peace, security and stability among the Member States in order to enhance economic development in the region; To co-operate in strengthening the relations between the Common Market and the rest of the world and the adoption of common positions in international fora; and To contribute towards the establishment, progress and the realization of the objectives of the African Economic Community. COMESA s organizational structure consists of: The Authority; the Council; the Court of Justice; the Committee of Governors of Central Banks; the Intergovernmental Committee; the Technical Committees; the Secretariat; and the Consultative Committees. 1

12 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Being the overall coordinating body of all Member States, COMESA organs and institutions, the Secretariat is an important arm of the institution. Guided by its mission to provide excellent technical services to COMESA to facilitate the region s sustained development through economic integration, the Treaty provides that Secretariat shall adopt necessary measures to enable the public and private sector enterprises to be fully aware and informed of the current and potential trade and investment opportunities that exist in the Member States. Therefore, it is critical that COMESA ensures among others; i. That there is wide dissemination of knowledge generated in the implementation of regional integration and its contribution to policy and decision-making processes. ii. Alignment with regional ascribed blueprints such as, African Union s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its development objectives and planning by independent Member States. This document is divided into seven chapters, leading with the background in Chapter 1 and followed by the situational analysis in Chapter 2 on the basis of which three broader communications challenges are identified. These are then followed by the stakeholders mapping analysis in chapter 3. Chapter 4 deals with the communications policy followed by chapter 5 that deals with communication tactics (how will we get there?). Chapter 6 contains the Implementation matrix and Chapter 7 concludes with the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. 1.2 Rationale Having its eye on regional integration, COMESA faces a huge task in achieving seamless integration amongst its 19 Member States all of which present their individual set of complexities. This notwithstanding, the realization of COMESA s mandate requires the support and participation of Member States; a role they are only able to fulfill through their understanding of COMESA, regional integration agenda and its importance. This therefore underlines the need to create public awareness with a view to influence policy and decisionmaking through dissemination of information on the importance of regional integration. The responsibility of transforming 19 Member States into one single market can only be undertaken through the strategic visibility of COMESA in Member States and beyond. In this regard, this communication strategy and policy serve as blueprints for COMESA and its Member States to adopt effective strategies to communicate with all its stakeholders internally and externally. The document is equally key to the internal flow of information at the Secretariat. It provides guidelines for the effective dissemination of information to 2

13 external stakeholders thereby propelling the institution towards the realization of its goal in regional integration. 1.3 Objectives As such, the approaches expounded in this document seek to: Increase public awareness and understanding of the COMESA integration agenda; Position, project and maintain the status of the COMESA corporate brand and image within the COMESA region and beyond; Map influential stakeholders (institutions and individuals) from Member States government, civil society, and the private sector who can influence policy, institutional and behavioral change regarding regional integration s present and potential contribution to economic and social development; Develop key messages for identified key stakeholders and channel identification; Build the communication capacity of the Corporate Communications Unit; Propose strategies for dissemination of information on impact, lessons learnt and best practices of COMESA programs; Outline approaches to assess, document and communicate the effectiveness of regional integration programs; Enhance public understanding of COMESA s core business and promote stakeholder engagement thereby promote buy-in; 1.4 Methodology and Scope To inform this strategy, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with the COMESA Secretariat staff were conducted. In addition to this was an internal communication assessment as well as a perception survey that sought data from development partners, the private sector, COMESA institutions and Member States. To develop the final product, the first draft of this strategy was submitted for review to a team of five COMESA experts drawn from Trade and Customs, Agriculture and Industry, Administration and Human Resources, Information Technology and Corporate Communications. Following their input, the document was then taken to a validation workshop where several COMESA professionals reviewed it further. 3

14 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 1.5 Approach A three-pronged approach was taken in the formulation of this document namely: inception, situational analysis and finally, the development of the actual strategic document. Stage I: Inception and Planning This marked the commencement of this assignment where the consultant and COMESA Secretariat reached an agreement regarding the terms of reference, methodology and approach as well as timelines. The inception meeting was held at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka, Zambia. Stage II: Situational Analysis The purpose of the situational analysis was to define the nature of COMESA s operational environment, the challenges and opportunities it presents. In this regard, several analyses whose findings are detailed in Chapter 2 of this document were undertaken; Research, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Internal Communication Assessment, Stakeholder Perception Survey, Literature Review, Media Content Analysis, Digital Audit and Publications Audit EPISTEL and SWOT Analyses The second stage of the situational analysis involved identifying the, Economic, Political, Informational, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (EPISTEL issues that surround COMESA s operational environment. This too was informed by the study of relevant documentation. Findings from the various studies were summarized through a SWOT analysis which sought to categorize them as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. In the strategy, strengths were matched with opportunities for leverage and strategies were recommended to turn weaknesses to strengths. - Issues Identification and Prioritization The final stage of the situational analysis was issues identification. The most outstanding issues (that can be addressed by communication), as revealed by the aforementioned studies were identified. Stage III: Stakeholder Analysis and Prioritization Based on all the analyses conducted, stakeholders who are crucial to COMESA s operations were identified and their roles defined. These were then categorized based on their level of influence. The most influential stakeholders provide easy entry points to addressing issues 4

15 surrounding regional integration. Stage IV: Development of the Communication Strategy and Policy Objective Setting Based on the issues identified and in cognizance of the COMESA Mid-Term Strategic Plan , strategic objectives were developed. Development of Key Messages Guided by the identified stakeholders and the developed communication objectives, key messages for individual stakeholder groups were designed. Development of the Communication Strategy This stage involved the development of strategies and tactics meant to guide COMESA s activities in creating awareness about itself and regional integration. This was largely informed by the issues identified, which the strategy will seek to mitigate. Development of the Communication Policy Separate from the communication strategy, this document was developed to provide general guidelines to internal and external communications. Information on preferred channels of communication as revealed by stakeholders during the various surveys, largely determined the approach taken. Stage V: Review and validation of the Communication Strategy and Policy To ensure that this document met COMESA standards it was presented in a logical and comprehensible manner, and was reviewed by a group of experts from COMESA, drawn from non-communication related fields to ensure an objective review. Further, the draft was reviewed by all professional staff at the COMESA Secretariat and their input incorporated resulting in an official draft. Finally, the draft was taken to a validation workshop of communication experts drawn from the Member States. The aim of the workshop was to ensure that the document met organizational expectations and to enhance ownership by Member States. 5

16 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 2 Situational Analysis (Where are we?) 6

17 2.1 Introduction African regionalism was initially energized by the pan-african drive for decolonization and freedom in the 1960s. But that pan-african paradigm was found wanting in the light of new globalization challenges. 1 This informed the transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to African Union (AU). COMESA s origin as a preferential trade area (PTA) in 1982 was eastern and southern Africa s effort to achieve economic development through trade and investment promotion. 2 COMESA attained Free Trade Area status in the year 2000 and launched its Customs Union in 2009, and has achieved the harmonization of Common External Tariffs (CET) with that of the East African Community (EAC). Further, the launch in 2015 of a Tripartite Free Trade Area (T-FTA) among COMESA, EAC and SADC further facilitates market integration from Cape Town to Cairo. 3 Besides these growing collaborations with other regional economic communities (RECs), the global and continental systems have also evolved to prioritize sustainable development. At the global level, there was the ushering of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 spearheaded by the United Nations. The SDGs have 17 aspirational Global Goals with 169 targets in total. 4 Continentally, the African Union launched Agenda 2063 in 2015 as well. Agenda 2063 has seven aspirations as detailed below; 1. A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development 2. An integrated continent, politically united and based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africa s Renaissance 3. An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law 4. A peaceful and secure Africa 5. An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics 6. An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children 7. Africa as a strong, united and influential global player and partner The AU counts on leveraging the strengths of RECs as focal points for coordinating the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 at Member States level. 5 1 Qobo, M, The Challenges of Regional Integration in Africa in the Context of Globalisation and the Prospects for a United States of Africa, Pretoria, Institute for Security Studies, 2007, pp Khandelwal, P, COMESA and SADC: Prospects and Challenges for Regional Trade Integration, Washington, DC, International Monetary Fund, 2004, pp Southern African Development Community, COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Free Trade Area Launched, 15 June 2015, < (accessed 26 February 2017) 4 United Nations General Assembly, Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015, A/RES/70/1, New York, United Nations, 21 October African Union Commission, Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, Popular Version, Addis Ababa, African Union Commission, September 2015, p. 18 7

18 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy COMESA s principal focus is promoting regional integration through trade and, investment promotion and sustainable utilization of natural resources for the mutual benefit of all citizens of the region. 6 In order to achieve this goal, COMESA has taken the classical stage -by-stage gradual method of progressing from a preferential trade area, to a free trade area, a Customs Union, then a common market and eventually a monetary union. The successes and challenges faced by COMESA in the regional integration process were reviewed, to inform the communication strategies. 2.2 Findings from Situational Analysis The findings from the situational analysis provide insights to the communication factors that affect the regional integration process. A look at the outstanding issues affecting regional integration considered the role of communication in addressing them. It also considered the role of communication in organizational functions that have a bearing on the achievement of the integration process. Regional integration is not a new concept in Africa as this was a big consideration among African leaders soon after independence. It was only until the 1970 s and 1980 s that this idea began to take shape again inspired by the political aspirations of African Unity and the need to establish strong policies around industrialization in Africa, through importsubstitution industrialization. 7 As several attempts, have been made towards regional integration in Africa, a number of issues are discussed as factors that contributed to the failure of the regional integration strategy, from a broader perspective of Africa. Understanding these issues provides clarity in the direction to be taken for current and future attempts in regional integration, and especially the role of communication in this respect. They include: Inadequate infrastructure within and among COMESA Member States. Good infrastructure is a pre-requisite for successful integration. It enables movement of information, services, goods, and people from production points to final distribution points, not leaving out intermediary movements along specific value chains. 8 Proper infrastructure is a pre-requisite for effective communication. Without proper 6 Ndirangu A, COMESA and MfDR, < nsf/0/6d10c89ed336332b48257f e9/$file/18_session%205_africa_anne%20ndirangu.pdf>, (accessed 16 th January 2017) 7 Niekerk, L.K. (2005), Regional Integration: Concepts, Advantages, Disadvantages and Lessons of Experience, Staff Working Paper, World Bank Country Office, South Africa. 8 Reginald B., Jr. Goodridge, Economic Integration of West African Nations: A Synthesis For Sustainable Development, Zhuan zhe 2007, (accessed on 22nd Feb 2017) 8

19 infrastructure within the COMESA region, flow of information is affected leading to low engagement of Member States, as well as poor or lack of communication in Member States about COMESA s mandate. Insufficient flow of information negatively affects trade within the COMESA region as citizens do not comprehensively understand COMESA s role in facilitating trade in the region. While the role of communication is to ensure Member States citizens are aware of what COMESA should offer, inadequate infrastructure limits the ability of communication to deliver. Overall, this affects COMESA s regional integration agenda. Competitive economies are well discussed in the Africa Competitiveness Report (2015). The Global Competitive Index (GCI) identifies most African countries as least competitive in the world. The discussion further reveals the poor state of competitiveness in Africa, which has remained stagnant despite growing economies. 9 According to Geda and Kibret (2002) the lack of competitiveness is due to the fact that most COMESA Member States export similar products. Most exports remain highly concentrated in commodities, exhibiting limited forward and backward linkages and exposing the Member States to volatility in commodity prices. For COMESA to fully achieve its regional integration agenda, Member States have to diversify their exports, which will give each Member State a comparative advantage and incentivize others to want to trade and integrate. For this to happen, COMESA s Member States have to undergo structural change in the fundamental sectors of their economies. Communication has a key role in advocating for structural economic transformation of COMESA Member States. This will encourage competitiveness within the region ultimately incentivizing Member States to integrate. So far, COMESA s communications initiatives have not adequately played this fundamental role. In general, there are uneven levels of economic development in Africa among private sector players. This can be attributed to: lack of government resources among others. As such, participation of the private sector is limited despite their potential to change the narrative of African economies if well managed and supported. (UNCTAD 2007). Communication should enable shared understanding of the development challenges in order to encourage collective improvement and hence contribute to the regional integration process. Multiplicity of Regional Economic Communities: Overlapping membership is common among African countries. This means, for example, that a COMESA member country also subscribes to SADC, EAC and IGAD. There being distinctive policies for each 9 Africa Development Bank, Competitiveness Report 2015 < Publications/Africa_Competitiveness_Report_2015.pdf>,(accessed on 22 nd February 2017) 9

20 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy REC, member countries suffer role and policy confusion in following through all the requirements and implementation of goals. 10 The Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (TFTA) framework is however expected to address these challenges. Communication within the TFTA countries should therefore focus on how the TFTA Agreement addresses overlapping memberships thereby positively contributing to the regional integration process. Reliance on donor support: Reliance on development partners for the implementation of regional integration and development projects undermines ownership of projects. This results in redundancy and slowly develops into a lack of interest in the proposed projects as there are no strong structures and systems in place to sustain such projects when external funding comes to an end. Communications can advocate for domestic resource mobilization within Member States to avoid overdependence on implementing partners. With adequate resources, COMESA internal systems and that of Member States can be strengthened. Regional vis a vis national priorities: A significant challenge facing COMESA s integration agenda is found in the fact that the regional agenda requires the buy-in of its Member States. This is in view of the reality that individual Member States have their own economic agenda, some of which may not necessarily share commonalities with the regional agenda. This also affects the communication behavior as more publicity tends to focus on the national agenda and less on the regional priorities. The table below lists the individual Member States economic agenda, against COMESA s integration agenda, which is: Promoting regional integration through trade development, investment promotion and sustainable utilization of natural resources for the mutual benefit of all citizens of the region Mengistu MM., Multiplicity of African Regional Economic Communities and Overlapping Memberships: A Challenge for African Integration, 2015, International Journal of Economics, Finance and Management Sciences Ndirangu A, COMESA and MfDR, < nsf/0/6d10c89ed336332b48257f e9/$file/18_session%205_africa_anne%20ndirangu.pdf>, (accessed 16 th January 2017) 10

21 Table 1: COMESA Member States- Development Agenda COUNTRY 1. BURUNDI 2. COMOROS 3. D R CONGO 4. DJIBOUTI 5. EGYPT 6. ERITREA AGENDA Burundi s vision 2025 is to set up infrastructure for promoting production. The improvement and the installation of new infrastructure will make it possible to increase production, to reinforce the competitiveness of Burundian companies and to improve the living standards of the populations. Comoros has a vision to make the Comoros an emerging country by 2030, respectful of human rights, promoting gender equality and the rule of law. Overall objectives include strengthening foundations of highly viable, sustainable, equitable and inclusive economic growth, as well as improving the quality of life of the population. 1 D R Congo s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper ( GPRSP) is focused on four main thrusts which are: (i) Strengthening of governance and consolidation of peace; (ii) Economic diversification, acceleration of growth and employment promotion; (iii) Improved access to basic social services and building human capital; and (iv) Environmental protection and climate change control. 2 The government of Djibouti in 2014 launched Vision It is founded on five main pillars namely: national peace and security, good governance, diversified economy, the consolidation of human capital and regional integration. These pillars aim to make Djibouti an emerging middle-income country by Egypt s Vision 2030 is to have an economy that is balanced, knowledge-based, competitive, diversified, market economy, characterized by a stable macroeconomic environment, capable of achieving sustainable inclusive growth. In addition, Egypt aspires to be an active global player responding to international developments, maximizing value added, generating decent and productive jobs, and a real GDP per capita reaching high-middle income countries level. The Government of Eritrea priorities are human-resource development; investment in machinery and equipment; transport and communication facilities; water supply; energy; and essential social services. The government is also creating an attractive environment for the active participation of local and foreign private investors. 3 This provides an entry point for COMESA. 11

22 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy COUNTRY 7. ETHIOPIA 8. KENYA 9. LIBYA 10. MADAGASCAR 11. MALAWI 12. MAURITIUS 13. RWANDA AGENDA Ethiopia s Growth and Transformation Plan (GTPI), promotes inclusive growth through massive public driven infrastructure investments. Ethiopia s Climate Resilient and Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy, also built upon the GTP I, recognizes the necessity to arrest agro-ecological degradation that threatens to trap millions of citizens in poverty. The CRGE focuses on four key areas: improving crop and livestock production practices for higher food security and farmer income while reducing emissions; protecting and re-establishing forests for their economic and ecosystem services, including as carbon stocks; expanding electricity generation from renewable sources of energy for domestic and regional markets; and leapfrogging to modern and energy efficient technologies in transport, industrial sectors and buildings. VISION 2030: The economic pillar for Kenya s development agenda aims to improve the prosperity of all Kenyans through economic development programs, covering all the regions in Kenya, and aiming to achieve an average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10% per annum. 4 Libya s Vision 2020 is based on four key areas of progress, or development pillars, and foundational values to advance a collective vision for transformative change. The four development pillars Peace, Security, and Rule of Law, Economic Development, Human Development, and Governance and Public Sector Reform form the foundation upon which development plans from 2014 to 2020 will be built. Madagascar s interim Country Strategy Paper is centered on the following two pillars: (i) Strengthening governance to consolidate the State; and (ii) Developing rural access infrastructure to reduce food insecurity. The last pillar is in line with COMESA s integration agenda. The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III ( ) identifies five key priority areas: (i) Agriculture, Water development and Climate Change Management, (ii) Education and Skills Development; (iii) Transport and ICT infrastructure; (iv) Energy, Industry and Tourism Development and Health and Population. VISION 2030: Among its main focus areas includes; Opening up the country and new air access policies; and Sustainable development and innovation VISION 2020: Rwanda considers regional economic integration as one of the crucial elements of achieving Vision To this end, Rwanda will continue pursuing an open, liberal trade regime, minimizing barriers to trade as well as implementing policies to encourage foreign direct investment. Furthermore, policies to promote competitive enterprises, exports and entrepreneurship will be emphasized. 5 12

23 COUNTRY 14. SEYCHELLES 15. SUDAN 16. ESWATINI (Swaziland) 17. UGANDA 18. ZAMBIA 19. ZIMBABWE AGENDA Seychelles made regional integration an important foreign policy objective and joined COMESA. In line with COMESA s ocean economy goals and SDGs on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources, Seychelles has reinforced its commitment to sustainably harness the potential of its oceanic resources. 6 Sudan s most recent development plan is dated Its overall objective was to ensure that South Sudan by 2014 was a united nation with strong foundations for good governance and realized economic prosperity as well as enhanced quality of life for all. According to Swaziland s (now Eswatini) Vision 2022, the Kingdom of Eswatini will be in the top 10% of the medium human development group of countries founded on sustainable economic development, social justice and political stability. Uganda s VISION 2040 recognizes the importance of regional integration and as such aims to: Review and strengthen the foreign policy to enhance collaboration in accordance with existing and future agreements, standards and protocols within the framework of East African Community, other regional blocs, African Union and global community, for the realization of this Vision. 7 Zambia s VISION 2030 is grounded on economic growth and more so demonstrates an interest in regional integration. More specifically, it states that the nation should have an economy which is competitive, self-sustaining, dynamic and resilient to any external shocks, supports stability and protection of biological and physical systems and is free from donor dependence. The country should be economically, socially and politically integrated within the sub-region, Africa and the rest of the world. 8 The Zimbabwe Agenda for Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset) has the objective of achieving sustainable development and social equity anchored on indigenization, empowerment and employment creation. Its four strategic clusters focus on; food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, infrastructure, utilities, value addition and beneficiation. Aligning the agenda of each Member State s provides a possible entry point for the achievement of COMESA s integration agenda, as there are clear points of divergence and convergence for each. Communication through information dissemination and creation of platforms for economic policy dialogues can assist it realizing this. This will serve to create a common understanding among Member States on growth agenda. 13

24 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy COMESA s Communication Challenges Drawing from the regional integration issues discussed above, and considering the key informant interviews, the internal communications assessment conducted with COMESA s staff, as well as a stakeholders perception survey, five communication challenges that require attention to enhance effectiveness of COMESA communications have been identified as the need to: 1. Improve the internal communications culture within COMESA to maximize on the strategic role of communications in executing and positioning COMESA programs; 2. Strengthen the inter and intra COMESA communication systems to improve information flows within the organization and its Member States; 3. Strengthen COMESA s media and public relations to improve the organization s image and ability to reach Member States and their citizens. 4. Establish communication mechanisms to mobilize support for COMESA programmes from Member States and beyond; 5. Establish and maintain a unique approach to working with Member States that ensures they buy-in to the regional integration agenda and promote it through communications. 2.7 SWOT Analysis SWOT analyses are necessarily subjective, and are here presented based on the perceptions expressed by staff and stakeholders through semi-structured interviews. The willingness of staff and stakeholders to reflect has enriched the assessment presented below. The analysis is critical in identifying priority issues that communication efforts, and therefore the communication strategy, should help address. 14

25 Table 2: COMESA SWOT Analysis Strengths A strong brand name; COMESA is well established and recognized; good presence in host country, good coverage and linkage with stakeholders A large target audience spanning 19 Member States The emergence of the continental free trade area (CFTA) Presence of COMESA institutions in the region Strong development resources, mobilization skills and goodwill from donors Many success stories i.e. the trailblazing trade facilitation instruments Established regional media networks Active online presence and good publicity materials available and channels e.g. E-newsletter, Annual Reports, Publications A corporate communications team Existence of COMESA anthem Active COMESA Media Awards scheme Donor support willing to leverage the institution s publicity The institution has many success stories for dissemination Presence of focal points in coordinating ministries in MS Opportunities Weaknesses Inadequate visibility of some of COMESA s outputs / outcomes Low participation/involvement in COMESA activities by Communication/ Public relations officers in coordinating ministries in MS Inadequate mainstreaming of communication in the implementation of COMESA programmes Insufficient mainstreaming of COMESA programmes in communication and publicity activities in MS Inadequate communications professionals at the Secretariat to cover the large geographical area and multiplicity of activities Lack of clarity on public engagement with private sector Inadequate espirit de corps between and among staff in different division/ units/projects Low internet speeds Threats 15

26 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Big market size of 19 countries providing a large audience The Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) Partnerships with new media institutions in the region and beyond Joint ventures with MS and corporates on publicity/media efforts Improved fiber-optic links to the COMESA region Technological advancement in the region (mobile phones and applications that can enhance communication Leverage on the presence of COMESA Desk officers to communicate implementation of regional programmes Presence of communication officers/ PRO in coordinating ministries Leveraging on the existence of COMESA institutions and coordinating Ministries in MS Leveraging on the new digital media platforms Prioritization of national development programmes in media and publicity coverage over regional programmes Limited budget allocations for publicity activities in both MS and the Secretariat for robust awareness and visibility campaigns Inadequate regional media channels that focus on regional economic matters Membership to multiple RECs Emerging challenges to integration as learnt from the BREXIT example 2.8 EPISTEL Analysis An analysis of the economic, political, informational, social, technological, environmental, legal and factors affecting COMESA s operations was carried out. It provides the context in which the communication strategy will be operationalised Economic Africa s share in world trade is low 12 due to a number of factors including low industrial growth and productivity. Most of Africa is still developing and hence the over-reliance on cooperating partners such as the European Union and others that account for 80% of programs funding for COMESA. In addition, the role of the private sector in regional integration efforts is either limited or overlooked. 12 Souter D., et al, Regional trade and integration sector study: Transformation-Ready-The strategic application of information and communication technologies in Africa,

27 While globalization has translated into increased trade among African countries, 13 consumers have become more exposed to imported products; 14 resulting in less focus on the development of the productive capacities for trade. The liberalized trade regime in COMESA creates opportunities for increased trade among the Member States while the liberalized exchange rate regimes and payments systems make it easier for payments to be effected Political It is clear that within the region, there is bias for political interests rather than regional integration, thus the observed reluctance to participate in COMESA activities that are not aligned to national/political interests. It becomes even more visible where governments solely lead the integration process with limited involvement of either the private sector or civil society Informational While there is growth in the number of people that have access to the internet, awareness on the COMESA legal instruments has not been effectively cascaded to the general public. There is inadequate informational kit that can be referred to for trade and investment rules, and hence impeding cross-border trade among African countries Social The narrative of poverty and underdevelopment still rings in the region, with issues such as unemployment, social and civil conflict, weak regional institutional frameworks and inadequate resources for the implementation of the sectoral priorities Technological There is currently extensive infrastructure investment 16 and rapid growth in the capacity of networks and range of services. The popularity and accessibility of mobile phones and the Internet only increases technological advancement. 13 African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Africa Regional Integration Index Report 2016, 2016, Available from: < (accessed February 27, 2017) 14 United Nations, Economic development in Africa Report 2013: Intra-African trade: unlocking private sector dynamism, (2013), Geneva 15 Economic Commission for Africa, Harmonizing policies to transform the trading environment: assessing regional integration in Africa VI. (2013), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 16 Souter D., et al, Regional trade and integration sector study: Transformation-Ready-The strategic application of information and communication technologies in Africa,

28 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Legal The legal frameworks are either too weak or do not cut across the region for Agricultural trade and marketing policies, causing the Member States to continue imposing barriers to regional trade in staple and other foods. 17 Harsh and discriminatory immigration laws and policies in many member countries are prejudicial to achieving COMESA s agenda Environment (Internal) The internal environment refers to the internal communication environment within COMESA as an organization with its various institutions. While COMESA has significantly grown its visibility and recognition across the region, its capacity and ability to handle high profile corporate and brand communications remains significantly limited. From a human resource and infrastructure perspective, the COMESA Secretariat, Member States and its and Institutions are not adequately resourced in terms of Communications. This curtails its ability to take advantage of the available opportunities to deliver COMESA messages to key audiences and stakeholders across the region. 17 COMESA, COMESA Regional CAADP Compact, < 2010, FANRPAN Regional Secretariat,141 Cresswell Street, Weavind Park, Pretoria

29 3 Stakeholder Mapping and Analysis 19

30 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 3.1 Introduction Regional integration is a topic that draws the attention of most African States. The situational analysis indicates the reality that COMESA is in the competition space among other Regional Economic Communities to champion the integration agenda in Africa. The strength of competitors is measured by the willingness and participation of their stakeholders at different levels. This stakeholder mapping and analysis process took into consideration the contextual framework within which COMESA carries out its operations. This means that the approach is based on the role each stakeholder plays; and should play, towards the achievement of COMESA s integration agenda. 3.2 Stakeholder Analysis The table below is an illustration of COMESA s stakeholders, their roles and challenges. 20

31 Table 3: Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Stakeholder Role Issue (s)/ Challenges COMESA Secretariat COMESA institutions Awareness creation and coordination of all COMESA activities; while managing stakeholders across all Member States, including partners and donors. The Communications Unit within COMESA is tasked with the responsibility of ensuring a coherent and systematic implementation of the communication strategy in the COME- SA region. Implementation of COMESA strategic goals; while promoting relevant COMESA activities in the respective countries Need for enhanced awareness and understanding of the COME- SA integration agenda Need for clarity on staff role vis a vis the Member States Inadequate flow of communication internally (internal communications) Need for a robust central document repository system Limitations on use of social media Information silos that prevent access to information Capacity constraints Underutilization of the information resource centre for information and knowledge sharing Lack of centralized document repository system Inadequate communication structures between and among the institutions Limited communication between the institutions and the Secretariat 21

32 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Stakeholder Role Issue (s)/ Challenges COMESA decision- making organs Oversee the execution of the COME- SA integration agenda among other objectives by making decisions, directing and sharing information to the relevant stakeholders Dependence on donor funding for project implementation Coordinating ministries Private sector and business associations Coordinate COMESA activities in the respective Member States, while engaging stakeholders in the various sectors Spearhead the implementation of the COMESA communication and promotion strategy at Member States national level by formulating Media and PR campaigns. Provide a link between COMESA and media in full to publicize COMESA decisions as well as highlight COME- SA projects being implemented at the Member State level Facilitate a link between the COMESA Secretariat and local media for quick dissemination of information Compile, maintain and update a media contact database in Member States Discuss and seek solutions to challenges faced by the private sector in the COMESA region Express the benefit from the integration programs Insufficient capacity to implement programs High turnover of desk officers Need for induction on COMESA for new desk officers Need for involvement of communication officers in COMESA activities Low visibility of COME- SA in the Member States Inadequate information on opportunities offered by COMESA 22

33 Stakeholder Role Issue (s)/ Challenges Donors and partners Support regional integration through funding of programs RECs Support the African regional integration agenda Academia and think tanks Communicators in Member States (actual communicator in government information department. Media Public education on regional integration Discuss and seek solutions to challenges facing regional integration Ensure governments websites have a link to the COMESA website Establish COMESA page on all government websites Ensure COMESA focus on national publications in Member States Incorporate COMESA awareness programmes into national communication strategies in Member States Facilitate access by COMESA to national broadcasters and educational institutions Need for timely invitations to meetings Need for synchronization of priority areas of interest between the donor and COMESA Need for visibility and demonstration of economic and social impact Need for harmonized policies and protocols Addressed challenges occasioned by multiple membership to RECs Low understanding of regional integration issues Need for facilitation with information and logistics for publicizing COMESA Inadequate information on opportunities offered by COMESA Sensitization of communication personnel in government about COMESA in general and regional integration in general 23

34 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Stakeholder Role Issue (s)/ Challenges Beneficiaries such as freight forwarders etc. 1.3 Gaps identified Utilization of COMESA trade facilitation instruments Make recommendations that inform policy formulation Need for easy access to relevant information through the right channels and tools of communication Inadequate visibility, awareness and understanding of COMESA This is inadequacy is demonstrated by: low visibility of COMESA; low publicity of COMESA s numerous activities, events and projects; poor presence in all its Member States and; low awareness and understanding of regional integration. This further explains why some key stakeholders particularly among the private sector are inactive participants in regional trade. The COMESA Business Council s (CBC) role within COMESA can be made more elaborate as the voice of the private sector within the COMESA region. Currently, the private sector lacks adequate awareness and access to information such as on supplier- market linkages. Hence, they are not empowered to appreciate and take advantage of the opportunities presented by COMESA and the trade instruments in place Need for enhanced, efficient internal communication structures and practices COMESA faces numerous challenges in internal communication, which have a negative bearing on the institution s ability to accurately and efficiently disseminate information to its external stakeholders. This is illustrated by several factors as identified in the situational analysis, these include: lack of adequate documents in the website that are beneficial to the public; unmatched COMESA publications that present the institution and its affiliate bodies as independent of each other; more usage of English language in contrast to other two official languages; internal technological challenges such as slow internet speeds; inadequate resources for the communications function (i.e. funding and staffing); insufficient internal engagement guidelines such as frequency of meetings and responses to internal requests for information. 24

35 1.3.3 Buy-in of the COMESA integration agenda by Member States Member States interest arguably has the highest influence on the success of regional integration. Thus, the ultimate success of COMESA s integration agenda is robust participation by Member States. Greater emphasis will be placed upon island states by taking into account their special needs. Worth noting is that interest means that countries: will be responsive to trade protocols; provide support (both financial and technical) to regional integration; recognize and appreciate the benefits of regional integration and; aggressively encourage their citizens to take advantage of opportunities presented in regional integration thereby making them key information points. The above underpin the need to establish and publicize a shared vision whose benefits are well demonstrated thereby eliciting interest and cooperation from Member States. 1.4 Contextual Framework A contextual framework is a guiding approach to decision making, where, based on the situational analysis and perception survey, we can understand the setting (context) in which COMESA carries out its work and the issues therein. With this knowledge and understanding, the communication is focused and targeted. It also enables us to effectively communicate to the relevant stakeholders in a logical manner, taking into consideration the complexity and dynamism of COMESA s operational environment. The intention is to garner strong support from three key stakeholders, whose buy-in should have a ripple effect that will change the integration narrative for COMESA. These three stakeholders are: The COMESA secretariat, The COMESA institutions and COMESA Member States (incorporating the private sector). The information Flow-chart (below) enables wide-spread interaction and information sharing to enhance COMESA s visibility; and hence access to information. 25

36 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Figure 1: Desired information flow pattern COMESA Institutions Donors and Partners Decisionmaking Organ Other RECs COMESA SECRETARIAT Media Academia and Think tanks Private Sectors & Business Associations Beneficiarie s The proposed interaction will address the botlenecks and further provide entry points for COMESA to the relevant stakeholders beyond the internal organ. The kind of interaction that promotes effective and inclusive communication is one that allows for feedback. The media play a role in disseminating information, public education and positioning COMESA as a partner in regional integration. To set the agenda, COMESA s media engagement should be end-to-end, to ensure a unified and consistent message. Donors and development partners play a supportive role in COMESA s programs. Informing them directly demonstrates accountability. Managing this category of stakeholders, call for diligent record-keeping and defined reporting frameworks. These reports should be accessible to the public as a sign of credibility and openness. The private sector and business associations have great influence on the integration agenda. Their role is not merely that of a beneficiary, but also a catalyst to the regional integration process. This stakeholder requires higher engagement as they form the backbone of Africa s market economy. The COMESA Business Council is a valuable channel through which such robust engagement with the private sector can be built. Hence the need for a tailored communication strategy that takes care of the imperatives of communicating with the private sector. 26 Like COMESA, other RECS are working towards regional integration. This calls for collaboration despite the diverse contexts and structures to achieve this common agenda.

37 Information exchange and regular interaction will help manage the overlaps experienced by the stakeholders. It will also contribute to harmonization of standards for Member States with multiple memberships. While this affects structural and operational dynamics, strategic communication unlocks the potential and perceived hurdles. Integration is about open interaction enabling collective growth. The Secretariat s role will thus place more emphasis on facilitating of conversations around COMESA s agenda and programs therein. COMESA then becomes a true partner. Each stakeholder has the experience of a shareholder of COMESA. This means they realize and understand their role in contributing to; and hence benefiting from regional integration. 27

38 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 4 COMESA Communication Policy Guidelines 28

39 4.1 Introduction Communication is no longer a soft function. It is a management function that drives performance and is a key contributor to organizational success. As such, the communication policy is aimed at enabling COMESA organizational functions to work seamlessly in achieving set goals. Communication therefore should not stand in isolation from other organizational functions, but rather supports all functions, by consolidating interdepartmental activities to ensure organizational visibility and internal coordination. This chapter highlights how the COMESA Secretariat, COMESA institutions, Member States and all other internal stakeholders will handle communication, both internally and externally. The policy is founded on the strength of the COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan ; and informed by the COMESA Communication Strategy. The COMESA Communication Strategy emphasizes three main pillars: access to information, streamlined communication structures and cooperation among Member States. With these pillars, COMESA moves from solely informing its publics to effectively sharing understanding; and hence communicating with them. This Communication Policy streamlines communication structures and culture to ensure each entity of COMESA enjoys visibility and fully contributes to the regional integration process. 4.2 Communication Policy Objectives In view of Objective 3 of the COMESA communication strategy, which is to streamline COMESA s communication structures for the effective realization of COMESA s mandate this policy, seeks to facilitate its attainment in the following ways: a. To provide guidelines for standard communication practices for unity in COMESA s communications b. To promote the appropriate use of diverse communication channels c. To enhance information flow in COMESA s internal and external communication contexts. 29

40 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 4.3 Rationale of the Communication Policy First, communication is a critical component of coordination. This means that all verbal, written and non-verbal communication within an organization contributes either positively or negatively to the overall achievement of strategic goals. Second, communication is wide and channeled through different personality types and attitudes. For COMESA as an organization, the diverse views and approaches to communication need to be first and foremost appreciated; and then managed, within certain guidelines. Finally, is the fact that COMESA has a complex structure that requires communication guidelines to ensure inclusivity, visibility and coordination. The complexity is in the sense of the diverse stakeholders and multiple institutions and organs, which all serve the larger organization. 4.4 Stakeholders This policy is applicable to COMESA stakeholders, both internal and external to the Secretariat. This approach goes to show the value of collaboration for the success of COMESA s overall agenda. In this regard, all stakeholders considered internal to COMESA, are the ones that bear the organizational name and brand and are affiliated to COMESA in a significant way. Such stakeholders have the power to influence, or can be affected by decisions made at different levels of the organization. 4.5 Principles of good Communication This policy is founded on globally accepted objectives of communication; these include (Reddi, 2014): Communication for understanding the organizational vision and mission: Communication will ensure that staff members are aware of COMESA s vision, mission and objectives and are invested in them. 2. Communication for integration of different institutional wings: Communication will facilitate coordination between COMESA s different divisions; Trade and Customs, Industry and Agriculture, Infrastructure etc. This enhances a team spirit. 3. Communication for maintenance of relationships with stakeholders: Communication will cater to the different information needs of COMESA s stakeholders. This will enhance their understanding of COMESA and keep them interested in the organization s activities ad progress.

41 4. Communication for decision-making: Communication will ensure sufficient and unrestricted flow of information within COMESA. This will provide the much-needed information for decision-making. 5. Communication for engagement/ feedback: Communication will ensure two-way communication by putting in place feedback mechanisms. This will enable COMESA to receive feedback from its stakeholders on areas for action, collaboration, opportunities, information and ultimately, growth. 4.6 COMESA Communication Guidelines Internal Communications Internal communications focus on all staff members of the Secretariat and the semiautonomous institutions. These bear the responsibility of ensuring that internal and external communications are effective and timely. Internally they have a role to ensure that they provide feedback to requests for information and/or documentation. The following is recommended to enhance internal communications at the Secretariat. Adherence will facilitate free flow of information amongst staff members, ensure timely delivery of information and enhance staff working relationships. The staff members will adhere to the guidelines spelled out in various Implementation Procedures and policies relating to the use of communications tools including but not limited to s, telephone, internal memos, aide memoirs, reports and general correspondence Describing COMESA The way in which we all describe COMESA to all our audiences, be it other RECs, Member States, donors, supporters, beneficiaries or governments is crucial in communicating COMESA s identity, objectives and work. The description of COMESA should be as simple as possible. This is not to over-simplify COMESA s work, but make it as accessible and understandable to as many people as possible COMESA s Mission Endeavour to achieve sustainable economic and social progress in all Member States through increased co-operation and integration in all fields of development particularly in trade, customs and monetary affairs, transport, communication and information, technology, industry and energy, gender, agriculture, environment and natural resources COMESA s Vision To be a fully integrated, internationally competitive regional economic community with high standards of living for all its people ready to merge into an African Economic Community. 31

42 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy COMESA s core values COMESA s core values are as follows: The Secretariat believes in satisfying its customers It delivers services with professionalism, integrity and innovation. It believes in quality leadership, teamwork and respect for each other in an enabling environment. It cares for the environment and upholds its social responsibility 4.7 External Audience External audience can be categorized in two segments; the first segment comprises the Member States governments (coordinating ministries,) and COMESA Policy Organs. These are part and parcel of COMESA governance structure but not involved in the day to day operations of the Secretariat. The second is the COMESA partners and beneficiaries. These include the donors/partners, academia and think tanks, media, the private sector and citizens of Member States. The listed stakeholders are beneficiaries of COMESA programs and in their own capacity facilitate the realization of COMESA s regional integration agenda. Communication with the external audiences will be guided by the stipulated rules as contained in the organizational policies and procedures. 4.8 Traditional Media Through its media relations function, COMESA will utilize print and electronic media across its 19 Member States to disseminate information geared towards creating public awareness and understanding on regional integration. Media relations involve maintaining a relationship with the media for favourable coverage and awareness on organizational activities and developments. For the same reasons and more, COMESA will initiate and nurture a long-term relationship with the media from across its 19 Member States. Media relations will entail among others: 1. Maintaining cordial working relationships with the media (journalists, editors), by holding media events to update them on progress, issues on integration and 32

43 COMESA s next steps. For instance: Maintaining an up-to-date database of relevant journalists Annual seminars Invitation to the COMESA Media Awards, Heads of State Meetings and other COMESA events and functions COMESA Constant communication through Press Releases, e-newsletters, Gifts such as Christmas cards, publications and branded collateral, etc.) 2. COMESA staff shall treat journalists with respect and/or that inquiries from journalists will be responded to as promptly with official and authorized positions of the organization. Staffs that speak on behalf of COMESA Secretariat shall accurately represent the official and authorized position of the organization 3. Staff members shall ensure that where there is need in the course of their duties to: issue statements to the press, radio or other media of public information; accept speaking engagements; participate in film, radio or television production or interviews or making of public pronouncements; Such activities are carried out with appropriate care being taken to ensure that the information released is not damaging to/or prejudicial to the interests of the institution. 4. COMESA will facilitate media activities through incentives, keep journalists regularly updated on advancements in regional integration and respond to media requests for information accurately and promptly 4.9 Digital media: In the wake of increased Internet penetration and ownership of mobile phones across Africa, social media is an ideal outreach tool. COMESA will utilize digital platforms such as (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram among others to provide updates on the progress of regional integration, engage with its stakeholders and much more COMESA will develop a Social Media policy that stipulates proper guidelines and decorum that need to be satisfied by COMESA Staff when partaking in social media, both when participating personally, as well as when acting on behalf of the organization. The Social Media Policy and the IT Policy will provide guidelines that ensures the principles of integrity, 33

44 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy professionalism, privacy and impartiality is applied in using social media platforms. The COMESA website will serve as the information hub for regional integration programmes and will be constantly updated. In particular, Coordinating Ministries will provide links to the COMESA website in their homepages in order to expand reach to the target groups. The Secretariat will leverage on ICT and other innovative strategies to ensure wider reach of its information resources to all stakeholders Printed Materials All COMESA publications including newsletters posters, fliers, brochures, newspaper adverts, magazines, annual reports, project reports and all other printable material will bear the correct brand of COMESA as guided by the brand manual and editorial policy. All stakeholders will be encouraged to facilitate distribution of the relevant COMESA publications at various events and activities. Copies of the publications will be provided in digital content and uploaded on the online platforms such as the COMESA website. All printed materials will be provided in digital format to facilitate distribution. COMESA publications will have a Standard Disclaimer and a Copyright Statement. A standing editorial team should be set up with Terms of Reference that includes quality control of all published works and development/ review of editorial policy Meetings: COMESA hosts and facilitates various meetings across the region. These meetings are strategic visibility points for COMESA. This means that COMESA should look out for opportunities to publicize their programs and agenda, by: a. Branding their meetings with banners, publications display and the COMESA flag b. Having all stakeholders display each other s publications to showcase the different entities of COMESA c. Providing reports on the findings, observations and opportunities from such meetings-on a reporting template Brand Application COMESA will have a brand and visual identity which will be the symbolic representation of the organization. Use of the correct COMESA logo and corporate colours will be maintained and applied by the Secretariat and its institutions. The application of the brand should be 34

45 correct and in accordance with the brand manual. The brand and visual identity will constitute the following: COMESA official logo Other variation of the logo such as the one below will be used mainly in publicity materials, publications among other applications as may be appropriate. Corporate colours: COMESA Corporate colours will constitute of blue (Cyan 100 and Magenta 20) and white as specified in the brand manual The COMESA flag shall be placed strategic locations at the Secretariat and Member States as a symbol of unity. Anthem: The COMESA Anthem Wonderful COMESA shall be used in all official functions. Tagline: The COMESA tagline: Growing Together, for Prosperity. The tagline shall be used together with the logo. It is a rallying call for unity as the bedrock of economic development Crisis Communication A crisis is an event that subjects an organization to extensive and potentially unfavorable attention from local and international media and other stakeholder groups. COMESA will prepare itself for a potential crisis by putting in place mechanisms to lessen the impact of 35

46 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy the damage. Such mechanism includes a Crisis Management Plan, which stipulates the course of action before and after a crisis. The following shall constitute part of the basic guidelines for COMESA s pre-crisis preparation: Establish a crisis communications team with high level participation to manage and contain crises that may occur. Establish a crisis communication center in advance this is the room where all the crisis communications team will assemble to deliberate and communicate with the public The Secretary General will be the institutional spokesperson during the crisis. However, an additional single contact point shall be identified as an alternative amongst the upper echelons of management. Develop a list of possible questions and corresponding boiler plate responses t o e n s u r e u n i t y and consistency in responses Develop and agree on a messaging framework which will define the nature and scope of messages to be disseminated to the public 4.14 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Guidelines: COMESA upholds human dignity and well-being of all the citizens in its Member States. In view of this, COMESA will make efforts to contribute to their improved living standards. As part of visibility and integration efforts, all COMESA and its institutions will be encouraged to carry out at least two CSR activities per year. A criterion for the selection of CSR supported activities will be developed guided by COMESA vision and mission, and the imperative of equitable distribution of CSR activities amongst the Member States The following shall be observed: COMESA flags or banners shall be placed at the venue to inform the public of COMESA s presence. The program shall include a brief on COMESA during introductions The communications officer(s) shall be responsible for documentation of the CSR activities (photography, short video clips, write-ups and short interviews), for reporting in the newsletter as well as monthly reports. All CSR activities shall be guided by COMESA s core values, selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and COMESA s Communication Policy. 36

47 5 Communication Strategy 37

48 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy 5.1 Introduction Communication has grown to be one of the most tangible aspects of management, as it provides measurable outcomes and performance indicators that influence the direction and success of the implementation efforts. Communication effectively supports all activities by way of creating awareness and visibility, showcasing the benefits and enhancing buy-in among target stakeholders. Communication therefore, has a significant role in creating an enabling environment for the successful implementation of COMESA s activities aimed at regional integration. This communication strategy seeks to position COMESA as a progressive Regional Economic Community among other RECS. COMESA being a membership organization, this strategy aims at creating ownership among all stakeholders, i.e. the Secretariat, the decision-making organs, the COMESA institutions and the beneficiaries (including private sector, business associations, transport companies and the public.) Understanding the cause and experiencing the benefits of membership enhances ownership. This is a major buy-in factor for any membership organization. Therefore, the overall key message is: COMESA promotes Africa s competitiveness by enabling intra African trade and free movement of people, capital, goods and services for improved living standards. The Member States are growing together for prosperity. The overall key message communicates COMESA s main thrust, hinges on creating interest among stakeholders about their agenda. 5.2 Communication Objectives For communication objectives to be effective, they must be aligned to the overall organization s objectives. A review of COMESA s Medium-Term Strategic Plan (MTSP) agrees with the findings from the situational analysis, which emphasizes the need to create awareness among stakeholders for improved utilization of available opportunities and instruments. In view of this and the prioritized issues the following communication objectives form the basis of this strategy: i) To enhance access to information on the COMESA regional integration agenda, its opportunities and benefits among stakeholders for increased visibility and understanding. ii) To demonstrate the value of regional integration through COMESA for increased cooperation among Member States iii) To streamline COMESA s communication structures for the effective realization 38

49 of COMESA s mandate 5.3 Rationale of the Communication Objectives Communication objectives provide the framework and define the direction of the communication strategy. It is important to note that the communication objectives were developed with COMESA s strategic objectives in mind. 39

50 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Table 4: Rationale of the Communication Objective Objectives Objective 1: To enhance access to information on the COMESA regional integration agenda, its opportunities and benefits among stakeholders for increased visibility and understanding. Objective 2: To demonstrate the value of regional integration through COMESA for increased cooperation among Member States Objective 3: To streamline COMESA s communication structures for the effective realization of its mandate Rationale This objective addresses the issues surrounding awareness and understanding of COMESA as a REC and its contribution to regional integration. Access to information is a significant component of effective communication that elicits desired action. This strategy therefore recommends specific activities that will be useful in enhancing access to information, which will have a positive ripple effect on the achievement of the objectives. Objective 2 speaks to the low interest amongst different stakeholders in Member States, which is attributed to several internal and external factors that can be addressed through strategic communication. Demonstrating the value of regional integration propagated by COMESA will not only encourage buy-in among Member States and the relevant ministries, but also provide entry points for other influential actors in each member state. This objective will also address resource mobilization and sustainability, by facilitating focused discussions around national agenda in relation to COMESA s proposed activities. The winning element will be the convergence of agendas that contribute to regional integration to increase interest and enhance cooperation. The communication bottlenecks are addressed by this objective; and will touch on both internal and external stakeholders. For efficient communication, clear guidelines need to be shared and understood by the stakeholders. While some of the proposed tactics are explained in detail, a communication policy has been developed to spell out roles and responsibilities that contribute to efficient and impactful communication within and among COMESA stakeholders. 40

51 Derived from the objectives, the regional integration agenda of COMESA will be anchored on three pillars: Access to information Streamlined communication structures and appropriate media Cooperation by Member States STREAMLINED COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES Use of innovat ive Commu nicatio n Leverage channel on various sevents in Member states Information dissemination through COMESA institutions and partners (Information on benefits and opportunities, etc) Awareness creation Consolidate role of Communication Department at COMESA secretariat Communication liaisons at the secretariat and COMESA institutions Functional and regularly updated digital platforms (website, social media platforms) Empowered and informed desk and communication officers at the secretariat writing and sharing both internally and externallyz Central reposit ory for all informa tion Particip ation & involve ment of private sector and Shared business calendar of Associat events for each ions Member State Clarity on key contact persons in each Member State Defined roles and responsibilities ACCESS TO INFORMATION COOPERATION BY MEMBER STATES Figure 1: Pillars of Successful Integration The achievement of the communication objectives is dependent on the appreciation of these three pillars, as they provide the foundation upon which this strategy is developed and sustained. 5.4 Key Messages COMESA finds itself in the competition space among other Regional Economic Communities (RECs). This means that a lot of information on RECS and regional integration agenda has been shared, thereby causing information overload. People process and retain information in different ways. These ways can be influenced by deliberately packaging the information in a clear and memorable manner. Strategic communication therefore maneuvers this challenge by developing targeted key messages that address specific stakeholder informational needs. The following key messages have been developed to manage the information overload and forgetfulness that is bound to be experienced by the target stakeholders. They also respond to the identified information needs. Positioning COMESA as a reputable and progressive 41

52 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy regional bloc calls for the dedicated contribution of all its stakeholders. The key messages are one way of engraining ownership and responsibility, as they target each category of stakeholders. Table 5: Stakeholder Messages Stakeholder COMESA Secretariat Key message The coordination of regional integration depends on you COMESA institutions COMESA decision making organs Catalysts for regional integration We are COMESA Ambassadors Your decisions shape regional integration You make or break the regional integration process Coordinating ministries Our partners in regional integration Beneficiaries e.g. Private sector and business associations, etc. You can be a COMESA ambassador COMESA = Opportunities Think tanks and Academia Fueling knowledge on regional integration Donors and partners COMESA is a credible partner 5.5 Communication Tactics, Audience, Messages and Channels To implement the COMESA communications strategy, COMESA will deploy various tactics, the choice of which depends on the targeted audience as well as specific objectives outlined below. In particular, a coherent external communication will call for an effective internal communication COMESA Internal Communications For COMESA to enhance effective communications that will get all internal and ultimately external stakeholders speaking with one voice about COMESA, the COMESA communications strategy emphasizes the need to maintain efficient and effective internal communications. This demands for coordinated activities within and across the COMESA institutions as well as Member States. COMESA s internal communication goal will be to: 42 Enhance synergies between departments and Member States Promote collaboration among COMESA staff, institutions and Member States

53 Encourage alignment across departments Enhance internal stakeholders motivation and commitment to furtherance of COMESA objectives In as much as choice of communication channel depends on target audience as well as communication objectives, the following options are easily available and should be considered for internal communications: o Electronic mail ( ) o Electronic newsletter (e-newsletter) o Mobile SMS broadcasts o Social media such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook o Intranet o Notice boards, feedback mechanisms o Staff meetings: These may include regular weekly, monthly, quarterly or special meeting scheduled for specific purposes, e.g. staff appreciation, regular staff training. o Team building activities to be encouraged within Secretariat and between COMESA institutions and Member States. o Office WhatsApp/ Telegram groups COMESA shall periodically conduct internal surveys among its internal audiences to establish the most user-friendly channels to improve on the channel mix. The assessment shall particularly consider the relevance of the channels used to recommend what works best External Communication Communication tactics are the means through which the communication objectives will be realized. These are measurable activities that shall be organized according to COMESA s annual calendar, to ensure they are applied as supportive elements to the COMESA programs. Each objective presents tactics that can be applied to enhance communication efforts for COMESA s agenda. Objective I: To enhance access to information on the COMESA regional integration agenda, its opportunities and benefits among stakeholders, for increased visibility and understanding. 43

54 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Utilize COMESA institutions as information hubs While COMESA s headquarters are based in Lusaka thereby limiting the Secretariat s ability to disseminate information across the wide geographical area, COMESA institutions, which are spread out across the various Member States, provide an avenue to provide information in respective Member States. As such, COMESA institutions will familiarize with the COMESA communication strategy and identify ways in which they can support it through their own activities. This is in cognizance of the fact that while the Secretariat may work independently from COMESA institutions; they all eventually work towards the same goal, which is regional integration. This underpins the need for support and collaboration. The Secretariat will for instance develop informational material (brochures, leaflets, forms etc.), which it will distribute amongst COMESA institutions, who will then act as information points on regional integration. Institutions will also showcase COMESA activities and projects as guided by their communication strategies and work plans. Develop simplified and localized information material COMESA has over the years commendably produced various publications ranging from reports, to magazines, booklets and brochures. Some of the publications have however been found to not only contain large amounts of information but also presented in technical terms that is not necessarily accessible for all readers. In addition to this, publications have often been produced in English and French and a few in Arabic. There is need however to expand to other languages that are used in various parts of the region especially for targeted groups such as cross border traders and those that may not communicate effectively in the official languages. In view of the above, COMESA will develop material in which information about itself and its activities will be presented in a manner that is easily comprehensible to its stakeholders particularly beneficiaries from diverse backgrounds and trades. In addition, the same material will be translated into common local languages to enhance understanding. COMESA Awareness Week To create awareness and drum up support for its activities, COMESA will each year dedicate a week on its calendar, the COMESA awareness week. This will culminate in a COMESA Day or Regional Integration Day with a theme, where the institution will look to publicize regional integration, its benefits and existing trade opportunities. Hosting countries will be alternated every year amongst Member States to enhance 44

55 inclusion and interaction. This will be complemented with sponsored social media campaigns to enhance reach across COMESA s geographical scope. In addition, COMESA should recognize its Member States independence days by sending a public message as show of acknowledgement. Competitions In the interest of raising awareness amongst its key stakeholders, academic institutions, COMESA will design and commission competitions based on the subject of regional integration. This will be open to individuals from all Member States, who will be invited to participate through art, essays, travel journalism and music among other constructive activities. Youth Awareness initiatives COMESA recognizes that the youth have a significant contribution to the future of regional integration. As such equipping them with knowledge on the subject is a creative way of publicizing COMESA s agenda. One way to do this is to organize lectures in institutions of higher learning and study tours for students. These will draw the participation of the youth in meaningful conversations on regional integration. This will not only enhance awareness on COMESA and regional integration but also create ambassadors out of the participating youth. Develop branded materials Aside from brochures, leaflets, posters and banners, branded stationery, caps, shirts, vans among other collaterals are strategic channels for increasing the visibility of COMESA. By distributing them amongst staff and other stakeholders, COMESA makes mobile billboards out of them. Among these items is the design and printing of COMESA flags, which are to be strategically placed (e.g. at government offices, hotels, airports etc.) across COMESA s Member States. Enhance the communication role of coordinating ministries In the absence of country-specific ministries dedicated to the COMESA regional integration agenda, coordinating Ministries role need to be enhanced. This is by dedicating specific staff (such as public relations officers) to serve as COMESA communication liaisons in their respective countries. Their role will include coordinating activities for creating awareness on regional integration, raising the profile of COMESA in Member States and publicizing the progress of their countries in implementing regional integration programmes. These officers will need to be orientated by the COMESA Secretariat to ensure clarity. 45

56 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Strategic distribution of information material Still taking advantage of the businesses that it is in partnership with, COMESA will distribute its Informational, Educational and Communication (IEC) material amongst top hotels and other enterprises with which it has working relations. COMESA institutions in Member States, and coordinating Ministries to serve as distribution points for IEC materials. Think tank and the academia should be enlisted in this effort as well. In addition, COMESA will explore partnerships to distribute the same material at border posts and relevant government institutions such as: immigration offices, customs offices, and public service centers (e.g. Huduma Centers in Kenya) chambers of commerce, investment authorities, and other line ministries amongst others. COMESA will utilize umbrella bodies such as private and manufacturing sector representative bodies as conduits of information on regional integration. Distribution of digital content will be optimized to reach wider audiences. This allows for wider access to information on COMESA and regional integration. The Information Resource Centre will establish networks with other libraries in MS for dissemination of COMESA knowledge resources. A digital library will be set up. Strategic partnerships COMESA will seek to establish strategic partnerships with various stakeholders to reach wider publics across the region and beyond. These include reputable online publications for the implementation of COMESA programs to have a wider outreach to policy makers, business and civil society. The Secretariat will negotiate with national television broadcasters to air COMESA produced videos to viewers. This will also include co-production of such videos. Joint sponsorships by enterprises that are benefiting from the COMESA Free Trade Area will be explored. In addition to the traditional video productions, the Secretariat will explore other innovative ways to produce COMESA programs documentaries that could be aired on reputable news international news networks. Inflight magazine columns/advertisements Inflight magazines for regional airlines such as Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, RwandaAir are an important channel for reaching key segments of COMESA audience particularly policy makers traders and investors. As such, COMESA will explore partnerships with airlines in its Member States to obtain a monthly column or advertising space on their inflight magazines. For editorials, topics may highlight the progress of regional integration, activities by different Member States towards regional integration amongst others. Inflight magazine columns provide continental reach and provide an opportunity to reach private sector players who have been inactive in regional integration matters. 46

57 Website upgrade and optimization The COMESA website is perhaps the most powerful channel in creating awareness about regional integration as well as providing access to all relevant material. This is due to its ability to reach stakeholders across its 19 Member States simultaneously. COMESA should seek to be digital by default in all its communications, with everything available digitally and hardcopies printed only when required. While all digital content should be hosted on the website, digital content should be created specifically to share through three key channels: , social media and SMS. There are two types of website content. Static and dynamic content. Static are facts about the organization and doesn t change much. Dynamic content is constantly being produced and updated. For instance, linking COMESA Twitter account with the web site so that tweets can also be read on the web site. Others include short, downloadable videos for distribution via WhatsApp, etc. Without regularly produced content, digital content channels will have limited impact. A communications planning grid to gather content from all institutions and Member States can be developed and used to ensure there is a regular stream of content and double as a rolling content creation plan. The website needs a constant and regular stream of dynamic content on the site. Rather than waiting for people to come to the site and find this content, it is also vital to push audiences to it. In the first instance, three tools should be used: The website must capture data - specifically addresses of people who want stay in touch / find out more. The subscribe to e-newsletter can be on the top menu of the website and linked to the mail chimp account for automatic list update when one subscribes. Those addresses must be fed regular content through systematic use of newsletters via mail chimp. Via social media - using Twitter Via link hosting and cross-posting on other sites with bigger (but still relevant) audiences. This will require outreach and media relations. The website shall be clean and easy to navigate for the user, with quality internal links and intuitive navigation architecture. Clear and easy to use social media buttons should make it as simple as possible to share the content it hosts, especially via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and above all, . 47

58 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy There is need to optimize utilization of this communication platform as a key information dissemination channel. Given that effective communication is a two-way process, COMESA will ensure it uploads engaging content on the website and then give the readers a chance to read/react and respond. That way, new content will be generated from the feedback received. Some of the ideas to improve such interaction include the following: - o Incorporating an interactive feature (live chat) on the website. This allows the Secretariat to provide real-time responses to requests for information o Create an online document repository. This will contain all public documents on regional integration in PDF and html as well as customizing the site for mobile phones usage). o It will serve as a resource center for all stakeholders including businessmen, traders and investors seeking information on regional integration and opportunities. o Create backlinks to the websites of relevant institutions and coordinating ministries. To increase traffic to their website, COMESA will partner with its constituent institutions and relevant member state (trade and investment) institutions to have its website incorporated as a helpful/important link. This provides more visibility for COMESA s digital platform. Have a comments section on the website This will provide website visitors the opportunity to give feedback and opinion resulting in a pleasant user experience. Understand your website visitors through surveys Online user surveys will help improve user experience on the website by understanding what the audience wants or is looking for. This will help in improving key business strategies, increasing user interaction, and gaining more followers. Online Communities of Practice The Online Community of Practice (OCoP) consists of members who interact with each other for their pursuit of a common practice. An OCoP must include active members who are practitioners, or experts, in the specific domain of interest. Members must participate in a process of collective learning within their domain. This collective social practice links individuals across official organizational boundaries and departments, and makes up the community. Standardized Branding 48

59 COMESA institutions despite being affiliates of COMESA are presented as independent entities across different platforms such as publications and institutional websites. This gives the impression that COMESA institutions are entirely separate from COMESA and are therefore working towards a different goal. On the contrary, these institutions are complementary to the mother institution (COMESA) and therefore need to be presented in unity. As such, the COMESA logo should be present on all material developed and disseminated by its institutions. In this regard, a COMESA brand manual should be developed and shared across all COMESA institutions to ensure the correct use of the logo. The brand manual spells out the guidelines within which the COMESA brand can be applied; and includes a writing style guide, colours and descriptions. Brand recognition across all institutions enhances memory, which is a principle aspect of strategic messaging. COMESA Scholarship and Mentorship Scheme As COMESA establishes a Virtual University of Regional Integration, one of the preliminary steps to consider may be launching a scholarship program in collaboration with its Member States. The program will sponsor students to study specific courses relating to i n t e g ra t i o n in any one of its Member States. This will in turn raise the profile of COMESA and regional integration in general among the youth in the COMESA region in addition, it provides an opportunity for information exchange and sharing. Joint Research Projects In line with its goal to commission studies, COMESA will seek to partner with research institutions and academic institutions within the COMESA region to undertake research on various topics related to regional integration. This ensures active participation of COMESA s stakeholders in the integration process thereby granting an opportunity to contribute to the same. Media involvement/ training Media, which consists of both traditional and digital platforms, provides the widest possible access to COMESA s stakeholders. The role of journalists who are the drivers of this industry is fundamental to this communication strategy. Considering this, COMESA will enhance the ability of journalists to educate the public on matters of regional integration. To this effect, COMESA will organize annual training workshops for journalists across the 19 Member States. They will undergo training on various programmes under regional integration, and the opportunities and the benefits they present for its citizens. 49

60 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy In addition, media representatives will be invited as participants in selected technical meetings/workshops and not only for official opening ceremonies. This is not only in recognition of their role as key stakeholders in regional integration but as key influencers of public opinions. It is expected that the journalists interest in regional integration will be sparked and their ability to report on the same enhanced. Commissioned writers and media producers will be engaged from time to time to write specific articles or produce audio visual content to promote regional integration. a. Media Relations COMESA will utilize its media contacts and establish new ones to enhance the visibility of its projects. The following illustrates the recommended approaches to media coverage: Table 6: Media Relations Tactics Radio TV Channel Newspapers, journals and magazines Media Coverage Tactics News coverage Interviews Talk shows Tactic News coverage Feature stories Video Documentaries Interviews Talk shows Adverts News coverage Feature stories Q & A columns Weekly columns on top regional newspapers Specialised business magazines 50

61 New media: Online platforms (Website and social media) Digital screens Website Face book Videos YouTube SMS WhatsApp Twitter Photos Studies Reports Blogs Portals Instagram Outdoor advertising Billboards b. Media Outlets Videos streaming Photo streaming PowerPoint Presentations News scrolling COMESA will identify media outlets with the highest reach in its specific Member States. Regional media outlets such as CNBC Africa (ideal for reaching the private sector), the EastAfrican regional newspaper and others with large readership are also recommended. It will explore additional opportunities for media coverage thereby ensuring widespread exposure. c. Media Monitoring Media coverage should be monitored in real time. In the first instance, Google Alerts can be used for free to monitor online media for key words. A subscription to search engines offers online monitoring combined with analytics tool monitors broadcast media. COMESA will take a broader view of proactive media relations and seek to provide relevant content for communication channels consumed by priority stakeholders (for example, internal staff newsletters or the intranet of priority stakeholder institutions). All positive media coverage should be featured on COMESA s new website, merchandised on social media and via . d. Digital Publishing The communication unit will adopt electronic publishing platform for selected news publications. Through the platform, COMESA will leverage on efficiency in distribution of publications and wider reach in the production of all publications to ensure consistency 51

62 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy of brand and message. If a document is produced by a particular department, it should be passed by the Unit for approval e. Events All events should have objectives set in advance of save the date. Every event should be evaluated against the objective set using an after-action review. Materials from events should be shared via s to both participants and invitees who were not able to attend, or who responded but did not make it. Ultimately, consideration should be given to live streaming public events to reach a wider audience. Initially, this can be done by hosting a Google Hang-Out and then promoting the resulting YouTube video as a catch-up facility. It is often easier for audiences to access audio of events on a catch-up service, so as to allow them to listen to the content of the event while multi-tasking. This can be actioned through a monthly podcast series, which can be called the key issues in regional integration podcast series. In addition, COMESA will utilize national trade and commerce events in Member States to host exhibitions. Such events will provide an opportunity for COMESA to showcase itself, its activities and successful projects. Objective II: To demonstrate the value of regional integration through COMESA for increased cooperation among Member States f. Snapshots of COMESA supported National Programs In an effort to encourage buy-in of the integration agenda among its Member States, COMESA will on a quarterly basis review national programs and demonstrate their contribution to the region. In addition, COMESA will review its own country-specific projects and demonstrate their value addition. This is meant to illustrate the benefits gained out of regional integration among Member States and in the process, influences national buy-in. The reviews will be published in COMESA print and digital communications channels for easy accessibility. g. Produce documentaries and publish success stories Success stories provide an opportunity to demonstrate the value added by COMESA and the integration process. COMESA will identify activities and projects amongst its different Member States that have borne the highest transformative impact. These will be modified into highly visual stories (e.g. info graphics and videos) for dissemination to various Member States and stakeholders. 52

63 h. Effective stakeholder Engagement COMESA s key stakeholder relations need urgent coordination, through regular meetings of staff to discuss progress in outreach, update key messages for the enablers category and ambassador category stakeholders. These two categories are the key focus in terms of communications. Regular meetings will be required (perhaps on a weekly basis), with staff reporting back and being commissioned to undertake next steps in these meetings. Low commitment and support (High influence) High commitment and support (High influence) Enablers Ambassadors Influence Observers Low commitment and Support (low influence) Friends High commitment and support (low influence) Commitment Objective III: To streamline COMESA s communication structures for the effective realization of COMESA s mandate This is the epitome of COMESA s communication strategy. COMESA covers a big area and hence requires more deliberate action on structuring communication. With dynamic factors, such as language differences, varied interests and calendars, expectations and contribution to the regional integration process, harmonization of communication processes is necessary. To ensure the successful achievement of this objective, a campaign, dubbed, COMESA CONNECT will be run throughout the year. This campaign will take two angles: - Alignment of communication roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders 53

64 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy - Capacity building for effective execution of the roles and responsibilities The table below elaborates this further: Table 7: Activities for COMESA Connect Activity Description Responsible Team building Develop a shared calendar of events Revamp the Intranet System The Secretariat will organize team building activities amongst staff, bi-annually for purposes of bonding. This will nurture team spirit and improve interpersonal communications and teamwork. Each department will input their calendar of activities for the year, and share this with all internal stakeholders. These calendars will be merged into one shared calendar to enable effective planning and efficient use of resources. It will also open opportunities for collaboration between departments to enhance information sharing and improved coordination of activities. In this way, COMESA connects, internally. An intranet system when strategically used forms an ideal channel for internal communications. This is given that it brings all staff members together onto one platform, allowing for ease in sharing common documents and dissemination of information that affects all staff. In addition, it is easily manageable and further makes it easy to keep abreast with day-to-day activities and developments. For this reason, COMESA will revamp its once operational intranet system to enhance internal information sharing. COMESA staff will be able to connect easily, from across the region, including the desk officers in the different Member States. Human Resources Secretariat heads of divisions IT Division 54

65 Activity Description Responsible Communication related training COMESA s ability to effectively disseminate information and engage its stakeholders is dependent on the efficiency of internal communication processes. In this regard, COMESA staff including program heads will undergo training on various aspects of effective communication ranging from: o writing skills (for report writing) o speech writing o social media management. This training is meant to enhance the staff s ability capture information and package it in accessible ways for stakeholder consumption. Administration and Human Resource COMESA Calendars In this way, COMESA secretariat will connect with their stakeholders through the content they share. COMESA team will be able to connect on problem solving and brainstorming for effective action. Annual calendars to be distributed to all member State offices at the different levels for publicity and information dissemination. This aspect of the campaign will consider the success stories collected over the year, with accompanying photographs from the various missions. These will form the pages of the wall calendars in creative ways, with the COMESA brand. In this way, COMESA will connect with various stakeholders and build its profile in the mind of the public. It will move to the conscious mind of its members. COMESA online The website and other digital platforms will be updated on a weekly basis with information from various activities. The digital platforms are central and prominent communication channels; which communication experts should manage for optimum results. Conversations around integration will be central to activating the platforms. The success of this global communication channel depends on the input of every stakeholder both internally and externally. COMESA will connect with all its stakeholders by providing a platform for feedback and realtime conversations. COMESA Secretariat and head of corporate communications COMESA communications team (with input from all staff and some stakeholders) 55

66 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Activity Description Responsible COMESA corner Sharing information on COMESA through letters or pieces of information through MailChimp-a distribution tool, to ensure efficient and accurate distribution of information. COMESA corner is about enhancing the online presence, through content generation and management, editorial components and feedback mechanisms. The content should be easy to access and consume, then COMESA will connect. While this presents a digital approach, the COMESA corner will also take a physical aspect. This will be done by COMESA providing printed material in the form of infopacks. These will be pick-and-go materials such as fliers, brochures and leaflets. These materials shall be carefully selected to meet the objective of publicity on COMESA and information dissemination. A physical COMESA corner could also be established in MS national and institutional libraries where COMESA and related publications are kept. All stakeholders managed by digital department. Information Resource Centre 56

67 Activity Description Responsible COMESA goodwill ambassadors These could be selected from the pool of beneficiaries of regional integration programs drawn from all Member States. The following roles will be assigned to them to advance the regional integration agenda: Lobby governments to ratify regional integration policies and adopt them Engage COMESA on digital platforms to discuss the prospects and progress in regional integration to keep the conversation going. Hold online discussions based on their specific country development projects being supported by COMESA. These discussions will gain more traction on official platforms such as twitter. Media will also be interested in this kind of conversation and hence enhance COMESA s visibility. Represent the COMESA agenda at business engagement forums in their countries. This will be a requirement for anyone who accepts to be a COMESA ambassador. The relevant documents showcasing COMESA s programs and activities will be shared with ambassadors to enable them manage the role effectively. They will be expected to document any such public appearances by doing a brief report including photos. They shall also share links of any media coverage from those events, where journalists are present. All COMESA Ambassadors to wear a COMESA lapel on their collars for recognition and credibility. The lapel will also be as sign of solidarity and confidence in the regional integration agenda. Business Community and Professional Associations Staff 57

68 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy Activity Description Responsible COMESA desk in coordinating ministries COMESA institutions Desk officers and Communication officers in coordinating Ministries could serve as the communication focal points for COMESA on the ground. Because they have wide access to stakeholders in their states, the following communication roles will be appointed to them: Coordinate publicity of COMESA events nationally in liaison with the Secretariat Establish and maintain a database of media contacts Distribute IEC material on COMESA to stakeholders Service as information hubs on COMESA opportunities for engagement on the integration process. Identify information needs of difference stakeholder groups Generate content on COMESA programmes for news and documentaries Hold annual workshops for desk and communication officers from the coordinating ministries, to discuss matters of interest as well as capacity building. Organize independent exhibitions and expos to showcase programs by various COMESA institutions and distribute information on COMESA, and the regional integration agenda. Identify opportunities for media engagement in host countries to enhance visibility and provide information on COMESA and the regional integration agenda. Participate in industry relevant exhibitions and events. COMESA publications and info packs will be distributed at such events. They will also seek opportunities to talk about COMESA. Policy makers Policy makers such as Heads of State and Ministers are critical in the achievement of the integration agenda. Their commitment motivates their officers who bear the responsibility of publicizing and implementing COMESA s programs. Policy makers can ensure they mention in their public pronouncements, speeches etc. In addition, they can ensure that COMESA symbols and emblems are displayed in their offices and public places. COMESA desk officers and Communication officers in Coordinating Ministries COMESA institutions Heads of State Ministers 58

69 Activity Description Responsible Knowledge management and dissemination Advancement of technology has called for information sharing in real-time. Online presence of COMESA publications can facilitate quick access anywhere, anytime. COMESA will continue to invest in its e-content management system/ resource center through regular updates and management. The system places all COMESA documentation and publications on a single access platform. COMESA Information Resource Centre (CIRC) All COMESA publications are processed in the CIRC and their bibliographic surrogates uploaded onto the information system. Patrons accessing the CIRC catalogue online can access full text information on COMESA publications available. Outreach and Participate in key national trade fairs and expos by setting up information booths in liaison with the coordinating ministries in MS Set up an exhibition centre at the Secretariat to showcase key products from the COMESA region COMESA Secretariat 5.6 Corporate Communication Unit Communication is about connecting, sharing understanding for effective problem solving and development. The success of this strategy is dependent on the recognition that effective communication function is often a resource-intensive activity investment in communication, a function that contributes heavily to organizational coordination and sustainable achievement of goals In view of COMESA scope of operation (which covers 19 Member States, vast geographical area and population of over 500 million people, several government departments and COMESA institutions), the Secretariat s communication staff s capacity to coordinate the wide range of communication activities within this context is overstretched. The COMESA s Communication Unit currently consists of four staff members namely: head of corporate communications; assistant corporate communications officer; videographer and a graphic designer/ photographer. The unit does not adequately capture the numerous projects and activities being promoted by COMESA. Hence, additional staffing is recommended. In addition, seeing that communication is responsible for internal coordination, which is partly fulfilled through management of information, it is important that units that handle information management are closely linked. This follows the finding that functions such as website management 59

70 COMESA Communication Policy and Strategy is under the care of the IT department and the resource center under the Administration department. These are functions, which would be undertaken more effectively if combined under one division. Additional staffing and expansion of the responsibilities of communication division to include the Resource Center and web management will result in a structure that will significantly improve institutional communication. This is as illustrated below: Figure 2: Proposed Structure of the Corporate Communications and Knowledge Management Division 60